Our very own Natascha Tennent goes from strength to strength as a champion golfer despite ligamentous laxity, which causes coordination problems and muscle fatigue and makes 18 holes feel more like a 36-hole supercourse for the plucky Year 10 student!
Determined since the day she first picked up a golf club, this does not hold her back. Out of hundreds of nominees from schools around Australia, Natascha was selected as one of six student finalists for the 2022 Edstart Achievement Awards Program, Sport & Wellbeing and awarded a grant worth $250. This was in recognition of her selection for the 2022 Special Olympic Australia National Games, which will be held in Launceston in October. In a demonstration of her commitment to advocating for others, like herself, who live, work and play with disability, she recently met RT Hon Sir John Key, former New Zealand Prime Minister and now patron of disability advocacy organisation ISPS Handa, to discuss how they could bring golf into the spotlight as a Paralympic sport.
Natascha is also Queensland All-Abilities Net Champion for 2022, which placed her 11th in the World Ranking (women) Golfers with Disability (WR4GD) and 1st in the Australian women’s rankings. In the lead-up to the Special Olympics in 34 days' time (at the writing of this article), she will play two and three-day comps with the Southeast Queensland team this September in the BDLGA Junior Jug and the All-Abilities Championship in South Australia, another world-ranking event.
It goes without saying that this will not be a very relaxing holiday period for Natacsha.
“Natascha’s dedication this year has been nothing short of amazing,” says Mum Kathleen. “There’s been a lot of training and travelling involved – and she has taken it all in her stride. She is keen to keep developing her golfing career and we are so very proud of her.”
